North Korean national anthem played for South Korean athletes at Asian Games
North Korean national anthem played for South Korean athletes at Asian Games
Oscar Maung-Haley Fri, September 18, 2026 at 11:17 AM UTC
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The North Korean anthem was played for South Korea's hockey players at the Asian Games (Image: BBC Sport)
South Korea's men's hockey team were left bemused on Friday after the North Korean national anthem was played ahead of their match against Bangladesh at the Asian Games.
Standing on the field at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara, the South Korean team looked confused and unsure how to react as the situation unfolded. While some held their hands on their hearts, others looked around in disbelief.
Immediately after the incident, organizers realized they had made a mistake, correcting the problem to ensure the right anthem was played.
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"We are really sorry, terribly sorry. National anthem for the Republic of Korea, we played a different song," said the stadium announcer. "I'm really sorry."
However, they did play Bangladesh's national anthem before then playing South Korea's after the mishap. Clearly, the incident at the Asian Games, which officially gets underway on Saturday, did not impact South Korea on the field against Bangladesh, with them running out 5-0 winners.
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South Korea's Yonhap news agency has branded the incident an "awkward mishap", adding the team was bewildered by the situation that unfolded. "Standing with their hands over their hearts in front of the unfurled South Korean flag, the South Korean players could not hide their bewilderment," the agency reported. They added, "Belatedly realizing the mistake, the organizing committee played Bangladesh's national anthem first before playing South Korea's. "However, pressed for time ahead of the scheduled match start, the referee instructed players to exchange greetings while the South Korean anthem was still playing, forcing South Korean athletes to start the match without being able to sing the anthem."
South Korea's players were stunned (Image: BBC Sport)
North Korea's national anthem is banned in South Korea as a result of the Korean War.
The match between South Korea and Bangladesh was held before the opening ceremony due to the packed schedule of the Asian Games, which will feature more than 11,000 competitors, a figure which exceeds the Olympics.
The 2026 edition of the Asian Games, held in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, is the 20th Asian Games, the last of which was held in Hangzhou, China, in 2023, which was attended by 12,000 athletes.
The 2023 Asian Games were delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: “AOL Sports”
